Couple of things
- While I don't disagree with those who voted against the increase in water fees, it's also something which is absolutely essential and has to be done. The increase, while, again, unfortunate, is also minimal compared to other increases and will, in the long-term, provide improved services and benefits to the community.
- It appears we've got a compromise in the BYX case, which is good. I still don't understand why the group simply didn't file to be listed as a campus ministry, which would appear to offer more protections for what they wished to do.
- Favorite Christmas movies anyone?
- Adrian chimes in with a letter on the Lumpkin-Baldwin intersection.
- Somewhere, someone thinks I should be in the Georgia General Assembly.
- This is pretty bad ... and, well, aside from being illegal, is also amazingly dangerous. Even if you're a 'great shot' ... firing at someone walking a dog is inexcusable. Killing the animal is awful enough, but if this moron had accidently hit the person that would be tragically worse.
- South Park is, at times, pretty funny.
- It appears we've got a compromise in the BYX case, which is good. I still don't understand why the group simply didn't file to be listed as a campus ministry, which would appear to offer more protections for what they wished to do.
- Favorite Christmas movies anyone?
- Adrian chimes in with a letter on the Lumpkin-Baldwin intersection.
- Somewhere, someone thinks I should be in the Georgia General Assembly.
- This is pretty bad ... and, well, aside from being illegal, is also amazingly dangerous. Even if you're a 'great shot' ... firing at someone walking a dog is inexcusable. Killing the animal is awful enough, but if this moron had accidently hit the person that would be tragically worse.
- South Park is, at times, pretty funny.
posted by Jmac at 7:38 AM
13 Comments:
Whereas I always find your comments and insight interesting, I find it impossible to believe that you are qualified to know what the current financial picture is of the Public Utilities Department and whether or not raising water and sewer rates is the right thing to do to pay for these needed upgrades (I do not deny the need for the upgrades). According to the FY07 ACC budget, for FY07 alone Water and Sewer has a Net Income of over %13.9 million in FY05, $4.0 million in FY06 and expected to have $5.6 million in FY07 (page E-24 of the FY07 ACC budget – online at www.athensclarkecounty.com). Remember that Net Income is what is left after they pay all their bills – they are actually bringing in $29.4 million a years with $23.8 million in expenses.
So to me it seems that Public Utilities has plenty of surplus money (and have for quite some time). Shouldn't the question be asked where is that surplus money going before we jump to conclusions that raising rates was the right approach?
-David
Thanks for the comment and pseudo-compliment David, though it's a more than a tad interesting to suggest you find it 'impossible' to believe I know the financial standing of the Public Utilities Department, yet you happen to be able to know it inside and out.
Still, no matter, and please pardon my early morning snarkiness.
There are two ways to view the surplus money from what I can gather ...
1. The Athens-Clarke County government had an surplus last year, and this money was directed to expand the Athens-Clarke County bus system. It's quite possible this portion of the surplus you cite was directed toward other surpluses and used to offer the expansion;
2. Despite the surplus, additional revenue was necessary to keep up with rising costs of steel, labor and other materials to provide the expansion of existing water and sewer lines, as well as the needed upgrade.
Both of these seem like perfectable reasonable explanations, and if someone who was involved in this process could expand on this, that would be good.
What's the story with the dog shooting? I get some sort of register an account crap when i click the link.
David,
As long as you're throwing around the numbers, how does the financing of future projects fit in to those numbers? I don't know what those numbers are, but if they are income and expenses alone, that is a useless way to evaluate the financial picture.
If the planned expansion is going to cost X million dollars (I don't know the number), are they paying for that now as part of "expenses" number, or are they trying to save up for it?
You left out that important information. Your facts and figures are incomplete, thus you have contributed nothing at all to this discussion.
Now, now ... he's contributed something. I was snarky in a good-natured way, and examining what happened to the surplus is a key component here.
Matt,
People walking in the woods on county land (I think off Barnett Shoals road out by Red Fox Run -- which is down the street from where I live!), two dogs running ahead of them, gun shot, people yell and wave arms to let shooter know they are there, another gun shot, people dive to the ground, one dog with a "golfball sized hole" in it's temple, dead. The people are pretty sure it was intentional what with the shot being a clean kill shot and a second round fired, probably at the second dog. The more I read about crap like this, the more I hate humanity and the more I think like Peter Singer.
its, not it's. Argh.
that sucks, they should let that guy loose in a forest and pop him in the head when he's not looking. I hate people who hurt animals, probably more than people who hurt humans.
This is unfortunate. Some gun nut, sociopath shoots a dog, and people will start talking about gun regulations in Clarke County and resposible gun owners will pay the price.
JMAC - I am not an expert in county finances either - though I do read the budget from time to time (I know I need to get a life). So you are correct to state that it is impossible for me to know the specifics either.
I understand that enterprise funds (like Public Utilities) cannot commingle their funds with the General Fund. In other words, the surplus that has been generated by Water and Sewer fees must stay within the fund from which it was collected. So the funding for Transit (which is a good thing) was funded through other General Fund surpluses not Water & Sewer.
There are probably several legit reasons for the increase, I just wished that the elected officials spent more time questioning where the past year's surplus went before they raised the rates. That was the main point of my post.
Adrian - According to the budget (again page E-24), Public Utilities have committed over $96.7 million of their previous year's surpluses to "Working Capital Projects" - something that the upgrades would probably fall into. But the budget does not list the exact projects for this $96.7 million. According to the Banner-Herald article, Public Utilities has saved up $86 million for this project, so I suspect that it makes up a part of the surplus.
However, the bigger question is why are we financing this project? As far as I know, we don't finance Fire Station construction, both the East Athens Park and Southeast Clarke Parks were paid for with cash from the SPLOST program, I have never heard of a road project being financed with bonds locally (I have heard that GDOT does this). At the rate that Public Utilities seems to amass surpluses, they would have the needed capital in a few more years.
I suspect that there is a greater need at work here to make room for UGA’s expansion outside the loop and the old Water Treatment Plant needs to be moved for that to happen and they don’t want to wait until they have saved the cash – so they finance it.
-D
That dog story is beyond depressing. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do in that situation. I realize that the wife and I are a little crazy about our animals but still, I just can't fathom what makes a person so callous that they would shoot a dog. Then again I'm not too crazy on hunting but that is another point alltogether.
Thanks for the additional information, David. So they are financing it then? And we're talking about the Bailey Street site, right? That place has been inadequate for years and seriously needs immediate upgrades. The stench it produces is an embarassment to this town, a damper on property values, and a real nuisance. I'm surprised that the county has not been sued over this thing (or has it?).
Adrian -
I don't know if they have been sued over the North Oconee Treatement Site (off Bailey). I understand that Public Utilities has plans to make upgrades at the two other facilities (Middle Oconee off Will Huneter and Ceder Creek behind Red Fox Run) in addition to replacing the North Oconee facility all for $400 million or so.
-D
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